Google adds the Temples of Angkor to Street View

Google has added another of the world's furthest points to its Street View. Images of Angkor Wat, Cambodia's most iconic ancient city have been gathered by the Street View team to give people around the world a complete insight of the area.

The Temples of Angkor are spread over a vast region and would be impossible to cover in one day. However, with Google's latest images, it is now possible to explore the remnants of the Khmer empire which date back thousands of years, from the comfort of your own home or via your smart device.

Google's Street View Treks

Angkor is the most recent addition from the Google Trek team, who have spent the last few years collecting images from hard to reach places all over the world. In the past couple of months alone, the search giant has created a way for Internet users to see inner crevices of the Grand Canyon by sailing down the Colorado River, and even the home of the polar bears in remote Canada.

It is hoped that by giving people the opportunity to explore the Earth's endangered regions, they can raise awareness and encourage digital travellers to protect and restore some of the world's most spectacular sights.

Google worked in partnership with the American Rivers conservation team on the Colorado Rivers project. The river is more than 6 million years old, carving 1,450 miles down the Rocky Mountains through the deserts of Utah, Arizona before emptying into the Gulf of California in Mexico. However, as a result of years of excessive damming, diversions and plumbing, the river is considered to be a "at risk."

Why Angkor?

Angkor is widely considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia, and is the largest religious monument in the world spanning over 400 square kilometres (248 miles) of land. Whether visiting the area in for yourself or seeing it through the medium of Google, travellers will see Angkor's majestic steeples, intricate sculptures, winding paths and ancient vines and trees.

For the Angkor project, Google partnered with APSARA Authority to gather images and recordings of over 100 temples in Angkor, including 90,000 panoramas of structures' exteriors, interiors and carvings. Google's Street View cars, Trekkers and tripods were used to achieve a complete picture of the area.

Natalie Booth, head of search at theEword said: "Google have used all their available resources to create this comprehensive perspective of one of the world's oldest treasures in one of its furthest regions. Their ongoing effort to bring more of Earth to a larger number of people, alongside Larry Page's Project Loon, demonstrates the company's mission to make the world a more accessible place while introducing new sights and wonders."